Shoulder of Lamb with Spring Vegetable Stir Fry
serves 3 - 4
Shoulder of lamb is often passed over, in favour of leg, for roasting. If it is cooked, boned and laid flat it cooks quickly, the fat is able to melt away in the cooking process, it is easy to carve, and the result is succulent and delicious. This recipe is for a half shoulder of lamb and will serve 3 -4. If using a whole shoulder cook the lamb for 2 hours. Boned shoulders of lamb are readily available in supermarkets or most butchers will bone a shoulder for you.
1 x 750g boned shoulder of lamb
¼ onion, sliced
sprig of thyme or rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
dash soy sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
300 ml stock or red wine for gravy
For the Spring Vegetable Stir Fry:
12 baby carrots
12 baby new potatoes
50g French Beans, topped and tailed
8 radishes trimmed
50g sugar snap peas or asparagus tips
¼ cucumber, cut into sticks
15g butter
1. Untie the shoulder of lamb and trim any excess fat. Lay the lamb, skin side down in a container. Scatter over the onion, herbs, garlic, olive oil, soy and season. Fold in half, cover and chill. Marinade for at least an hour or overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F /Gas mark 5. Lay the lamb skin side up, with the herbs and seasonings tucked underneath, in a roasting tin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 1 ¼ hours.
3. Meanwhile prepare the vegetables: Simmer the carrots and new potatoes in boiling salted water until ‘al dente’. Add the beans and radish and boil for a minute . Drain and cool. Mix together with the sugar snaps or asparagus and cucumber and set aside.
4. Remove the lamb from the roasting tin and set on a carving board to rest. Drain the fat from the tin and add the stock or wine.Bring to the boil stirring all the time to remove the sticky juices from the bottom of the pan. Continue to boil until reduced and syrupy. Adjust the seasoning.
5. Now finish the vegetables: melt the butter in a sauté pan or wok. When foaming add the vegetables and toss over the heat until hot all the way through
6. Slice the lamb and serve on warm plates with a drizzle of the gravy and a helping of vegetables.
